Indian Journal of Pharmacology最新文献

Abstract: Imatinib mesylate, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibited beneficial effects against various neurological diseases besides its anticancer activity. However, its effects on global cerebral ischemia in gerbils remain to be investigated. Global cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) in male Mongolian gerbils. Imatinib (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg BW) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 30 min before BCAO. Imatinib (3 and 10 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated neurological deficits, locomotor hyperactivity, and cognitive deficits (Y-maze spontaneous alternations) at 4, 24, and 72 h, respectively, after reperfusion in gerbils. Imatinib caused reduction in neuronal cell death in CA1 hippocampal region of gerbils after BCAO and was associated with abrogation of elevated immunoreactivity of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers (GRP78 and CHOP). This study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect along with functional improvement by imatinib in global cerebral ischemia in gerbils that may be due to mitigation of ER stress.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) - A chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system is notorious for causing progressive neurological deterioration. This affects the quality of life of these patients and their productivity. Various oral and injectable disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) are available for the treatment of MS. In spite of availability of many drugs, the quality of life of these patients continues to be perturbing. The present study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of common therapy in MS.

Methods: A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Seventy-one MS patients on DMDs were recruited. Relevant clinical details were collected from the electronic medical records, and a quality-of-life questionnaire was administered telephonically. Assessment of drugs being prescribed, treatment effectiveness, and adverse drug reactions were calculated as frequency and percentage.

Results: Female cases were 64.8%. 77.5% were relapsing-remitting type of MS. The initial presenting complaints varied from visual disturbances in 28.16%, paresthesia in 25.35%, and ataxia in 21.12%. No relapse episodes were reported in 21.12% of cases. 33.8% faced physical disabilities and 9.9% cognitive disabilities. 2.81% cases opined that their quality of life is good.

Conclusions: Drug therapy is beneficial in providing remission and reducing relapse rates in MS. DMDs are effective in reducing the debilitating symptoms and preventing the progression of the disease, when begun immediately after the diagnosis is made.

Background: Bone is an endocrine organ that despite being inert in appearance constantly undergoes remodeling, in which wear and tear of bone cells occur. With more than two decades of clinical experience, the molecular mechanisms of anti-fracture drugs are not completely understood because they inhibit osteoclastic activity and differentiate the osteoblast cells. Recent studies suggest fundamentally different mechanisms of action for key anti-fracture drugs, bisphosphonates, and recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH) at the tissue level; however, their molecular basis of action has not been explored completely. Here, we showed the effect of varying concentrations of zoledronic acid (ZOL) and rhPTH on human osteogenic sarcoma cells (U2OS cells).

Materials and methods: Cellular viability, mineralization, and osteogenic gene expressions were assessed to elucidate the effects of these two prototypic drugs with diametrically different mechanisms of action.

Results: Cellular viability was not affected either by ZOL or rhPTH alone or in tandem treatments. Osteoblastic activity increased significantly with rhPTH followed by ZOL. Further, alkaline phosphatase activity increased significantly with tandem treatment of rhPTH followed by ZOL both at the mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, osteoblastic genes (COL1A1 and osteocalcin) were significantly modulated by sequential treatment with rhPTH followed by ZOL.

Conclusions: We conclude that rhPTH (5 μg) treatment followed by ZOL (1 μM) showed the best anabolic or bone-forming effect. Our results warrant further research in assessing similar combinations of anti-fracture drugs, which augment osteogenesis to maximize their anabolic effects in preventing osteoporosis in susceptible individuals.

Abstract: Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Despite proven efficacy in these disorders, it can cause various side effects, including occurrences of paraesthesia-a sensory disorder characterized by spontaneous itching or tingling without external triggers. The mechanism behind olanzapine-induced paraesthesia is not well understood but may involve dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor antagonism. Here, we report two cases of severe paraesthesia that occurred as a side effect of olanzapine therapy, which improved after discontinuing the medication in the first case and by reducing the dose in the second case.

Introduction: Appropriate understanding of medicine-related advice in a prescription by patients ensures therapeutic compliance and mitigates avoidable medication intake-related errors.

Aims: This study assessed how well patients or their caregivers attending a tertiary care hospital have understood medicine-related information in their outpatient department (OPD) prescription.

Materials and methods: This prospective questionnaire-based observational study was conducted on patients attending outpatient clinics of four departments of a tertiary care hospital. The questionnaire had both open and close-ended questions, which assessed understanding of written information related to the prescribed medicines.

Results: A total of 380 patients were enrolled in the study. 59.21% (95% CI 54.2-64.04) respondents had an excellent or good understanding of drug dosage. Similarly, 40% (95% CI 35.2-45) about drug frequency and 59.77% (95% CI 54.66-64.7) had excellent understanding of drug duration. However, overall composite understanding of prescriptions was poor in 36.84% (95% CI 32.14-41.8) of study participants. Patients with a higher level of education or from higher socioeconomic groups had a better understanding compared to other educational and socioeconomic categories. Suggestions for better patient understanding included prescriptions in vernacular language and pictorial representations.

Conclusions: The study conducted in a tertiary care public hospital in India, reveals suboptimal understanding of medication-related information in OPD prescriptions. Based on the study outcome, measures have been taken to address the issue. Furthermore, there is a need for designing tailored interventions based on the patient profile attending a healthcare facility to facilitate better understanding.